After years of slow growth and economic uncertainty, the Pee Dee real estate market is showing signs of a recovery and has a new company, spawned out of the downturn, to help sell it—Coldwell Banker Segars McMillan and Associates in Florence. More than a year of discussions led to the merger on June 2 between Joey McMillan’s Florence-based Coldwell Banker McMillan Tiller and Associates and Goz Segars’ Hartsville-based Prudential Segars Realty. Segars and McMillan, the company’s principal owners, say the driving force behind the consolidation of the franchises was the shrinking market of the past several years as well as it being smart business for the companies to merge.
“If times hadn’t been bad, we’d never been talking and then we look at this and even if times were good, we’d be stupid not to talk. It makes more sense,” McMillan said. “We knew that this would help us both.”
The group also brought on and bought out Gary Dauksch’s Florence-based Century 21 Bell Ray Properties. With a stronger company, less overhead and an expanded geographical footprint in the Pee Dee, the two say with the additional knowledge their agents have now they will not only sell their respective Florence and Hartsville areas, but will be able to sell the Pee Dee.
“What we are really interested in is we have a strong office in Hartsville and also serving Darlington, Lake City, Marion, Mullins and using this (Florence) as a hub, but still really providing a service that a quality brand can do,” Segars said.
